Jazz is a music of Black knowledge and creativity at it’s highest level, and not a popularity contest. It’s like asking what’s your favorite religion.

And fresh foods aid a healthy lifestyle, but I love me some sweet potatoes! Just trippin', but for real...Jazz is all that you said it is, but why couldn't you decide which musicians art touches you the most? I can't equate it to religion, but I can equate it to literature. There are a million writers, and hundreds of GREAT writers, but each has a different style, and each touches you in a different, sometimes more personal way. Then again, to use the religion analogy, you CAN decide which religion you relate to the most. I can't get with Christianity, but I feel the NTR of KMT has become a part of me. As far as jazz, I say Herbie Hancock because he has music that fits just about every mood/feeling I can experience. It's like the soundtrack to life. Coltrane and Miles...yeah, I love them too, but Herbie is my favorite.

Miles Davis, of course. esp albums Bitches Brew and My Funny Valentine, and for his too real for yt attitude.
John Coltrane: the album Naima and the track Alabama (in honor of the 4 Little Girls murdered) are in my blood memory

Gil Scott Heron and Brian Jones ( have you really LISTENED to Winter in America??!!)
Nina Simone (the ultimate Black diva, i am forever a mere student to her graces)

contemporary loves:
Cassandra Wilson, her tribute album to Miles Davis: Traveling Miles is my favorite
Meshell Ndegecello's Dance of the Infidels, wow, real collective artistry

It's all good!

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It’s all Love, I think when I saw that white boy, “oh Chucky boy” in the list, it sort of got to me a little…

Also the Jazz critics use to play this control game with the Downbeat Poll and the fake-ass Playboy poll, I just have a lot of problems with polls who ask who’s your favorite or who are the best. Every one of the greats brought something great to the Black musical language. But Chuck Mangione?? Hell NO!!…LOL

Well let just name some of the great innovators who influenced me, we got Charlie “Bird” Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Stitt, James Moody, Jackie McLean, and John Coltrane.

For trumpet players we got to name, Kenny Durham, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Booker Little, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, and Lester Bowie, just to name a few.

And of those before named solo greats, they could not have been bad as hell without a rhythm section, like bass players such as Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Charles Mingus, Reggie Workman, Jimmy Garrison and Ron Carter (there’s a bad cut of Ron Carter playing with this African-French Rapper), just to name a few.

I saw a dead bird flyin through a broken sky
Wish I could flap wings and fly away
To where black kings and Ghana stay
So I could get on my flesh right away
But that'll be the day when it's peace
When my gat don't need to sprayNATURE OF THE THREAThttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js20fyDymd4

On Piano: Ramsey Lewis (I have only begun to hear Monk and Oscar Peterson)

On the horn: Gotta be Miles first. But I like Tom Brown too. I have only heard "Night in Tunisia", but I am digging Dizzy's vibe on that. Love that song

Sax: Trane of course. But it's hard not to take Bird. He was like Magic and Trane was like Jordan. I always liked Magic's style over Jordan's. But how can I ignore Giant Steps?? Trane. Bird. Trane. Bird. Trane. Bird
this could go on all day

Grover was my favorite growing up. George Howard too

I wish I could tell the tenors form the altos. i would break it down further

I think Dianne Reeves is my favorite jazz vocalist. But Al Jarreau is no slouch
either. Nor is Angela Bofill or even Sade. You can throw Chaka and Anita on that pile while you're at it. R&B sides be damned

Let me just add that there is a ton of jazz music i have heard, but have no clue who was playing it. I've heard bits and pieces of all most of the artist named here. But not alot

I just listened to "Naima" with a friend earlier today. Definitely going to go with Coltrane as my favorite. Although Thelonious Monk was a must when I was growing up.

I still realize that my knowledge of jazz is sorely lacking.

"Oh Africa! When shall be the term of thy long degradation? Behold here, even now, I pledge thee, O my Mother, that I shall devote my years to thee, shall work for thy redemption, shall love thee and be proud of thee and glory in thy power now lying dormant and shall strive to bring it to the light. Take my youth, my labors, my love, my all and do thou when I shall have died for thee, take me to thy bosom, an untamed, untamable African." -Hubert Harrison

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Assata Shakur Speaks is an Forum Devoted To Assata Shakur And All Political Prisoners Around The World. Assata Shakur Speaks Is An Oasis Of Pan African Information Geared Towards The Liberation Of Afrikan People.